Billiard table



Aug. 30, 1927. H, BURKE ET AL BILLIARD TABLE Filed Dec, 1, 1926 35 A 41 uvvzurom e an HE m UR BF am T ms 0 f 0 A M A Patented Aug. 30,

UNITED STATES 1,640,879 PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY c. BURKE an]; AUGUST A. meme, or Los Anennns, CALIFORNIA, AS- sIeNons or ONE-THIRD TO s. n. MURDOCK, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BILLIARD TABLE.

Application filed December 1, 1926. Serial No. 151,944.

' lhis invention relates to devices used on One of the objects of this invention is to provide a ball control and'collecting mechanism on so-called snooker-pool and Englishbilliards. f

Another object is to provide a controllable ball-return for billiard-tables. 7

Another object is to provide a ball-com trol for individually and collectively releasing the balls. 1

Other objects will appear from the following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective illustrationof a plain billiard-table with pockets into which balls are dropping as different games are played on the table with a ball-return below the table. f

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary cross-section thrugh one of the pockets approximately on line 22 of Fig. 1, illustrating a simple ball stop between the pocket and the returnchannels.

- Fig. 3 is a cross section through the pocket on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. I Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration ofa simple arrangement of several individual stops with means for universal or collective operation of the several stops in unison.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section through a pocket and adjoining return-channel with a ball-control of a slightly modi fled form.

Though there are many games played on billiard-tables, we only refer to someof the best-known games, such as snooker-pool and plain English billiard, in which the balls are frequently taken back from the pockets to be played over and over again on the table after having been dropped into the pockets during the course of the games.

In snooker-pool especially it happens frequently that so many of the red balls are discharged into one and the same pocket, that it becomes necessary for one of the players or attendants to remove some of the balls to one of the still empty pockets to allow a continuation of the game.

In this particular game quite a few red balls are discharged one after another until the game, is finished, while balls of the other colors are, as a rule, wanted on the table until all red balls havebeen played,.though such otherwise colored. balls are also repeate'dly used in the game, so that they we drop into the pockets.

It stands to reason that any billiard in which the pockets are in free communication with any plain ball-return can not satisfactorily be used to play this game of snooker-pool, since the balls ofthe different colors would naturally enter the returnsystem as soon as they arev played into the pockets, while they. should come back on the table. for further use in the game.

To allow the use of a ball return system in connection with the pockets in a snookerpool, we have therefore provided stop and rel-ease mechanisms, by which any number of balls can be held in the pocket preparatory to the release through the LGtlllll-0llill nels until certain of the balls, that are to be used for a continuation of the game, have be'enremoved from the pocket, so that only such balls, that are not further desired in the game, can be released into the returnchannel system for collection.

7 If, for instance, all the red balls shall be played first in a game and balls of other colors are to be repeatedly used in the game, such of the balls that have been dis-- charged into the different pockets and that I are to be used for further playing in the game are simply removed from a pocket and placed back on the table, while all the red halls are left in the pochetsand are released directly after the other balls have been re- Any ball played on the table 6 after being properly played to enter and pass the opening 7 drops into the pocket 8. This pocket is preferably made large enough to hold several balls to facilitate a playing of certain games, in which several balls may .1

be discharged by the same player, after whichsoine of the balls may have to be replaced on the table, as in the above referredto snooker-pool. For holding several halls in any ofthe pockets preparatory to being released into the return-channel 9, the stop 10 is removably disposed in the passage from the pocket 8 to the channel 9, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. In this simple form, the stop isturnably mounted on the shaft '11 and is provided with a handle portion 12 by which the shaft can be turned against the tension of the spring 13, so as to withdraw the stop-end 10 from the passage whenever the accumulated or collected balls in the pocket are to be discharged into the channel 9.

Each pocket is preferably provided with such a stop for individually controlling the pocket.

On the other hand, these individual stops and controls are provided with an actuating member 14- in form of a pin or similar abutment to allow an actuating-of all stops in unison, or collectively.

For collectively operating several stops of the whole billiard table, the bars 15 are provided with pins or abutments 16 by which the pins or abutments 1 1 of the individual stops can be actuated, while still allowing an individual actuating of the stops by the handle-member 12. The joint operation of the several stops is made possible in a similar manner through the abutments 1 l16 by a pulling or moving of the bars 15 in the direction of the arrows 17, so as to turn the shafts with the stop-ends 1O jointly instead of individually as has been described above with reference to the handle-member 12 against the tension of the springs 13. Bellcranks 18 and connectingrods 19 connect the two rods 15 to a common handle-lever, by which the whole mechanism can be actuated in unison for collectively discharging or releasing balls from the several pockets of the whole billiard table. This main handle 20 together with the connecting rods 19 and the rods 15 are held in an inoperative position by a common spring 21, so that any of the individual stops may be operated without affecting any of the stops in the other pockets, or without affecting the mechanism as a whole.

The slightly modified form illustrated in Fig. 5 is designed to be imbedded or incased in the frame work of a billiard table, having a straight lever 22 pivotally mounted at 23 and connected at one end to the stop bar 24, disposed for horizontal movements across the path into the return-channel 9 from the pocket 8 The bar 15, is in this case also provided with a pin 16 to abut against the protruding handle-portion 25 of the lever 22.

Any balls released from the pockets in the manner set forth above, after being discharged through the return-channels 9, collect at one side of the billiard, as at the point indicated at 26, from which they may be taken after the game is finished to be replaced on the table.

' In the snooker-pool game, all red balls may in this manner be discharged into the collecting receptacle at 26, before the balls of other colors enterthe return-channel system, and the red balls may therefore easily be collected first and unmixed of other balls taken from the return system to be replaced on "the table in one group ready for the next game. The halls of other colors having been played later to follow the red ballinto thereturn system, may then be replaced in a proper or desired order on the table after being also collected unmixed in one group.

From the above it will be understood that we do not make claim to any particularreturn system, and that the stop or release mechanisms may be varied to suit difierent conditions of billiard tables within the scope of the appended claims. v

having thus described our invention we claim:

1. In a billiard table in combination with a ball return system under the table top and pockets in the table top, a ball'control in cluding stops'with means for individually and other means for collectively operating said stops for holding and releasing balls in the several pockets to he released into said return system.

2. In a billiard table having a rim around the table top wit-h pockets extending through the rim from above the table top to a point below the table top, a ball collecting system below the table top in communication'with said pockets, and a ball control mechanism including stops with means for individually and other means for collectively operating said stops for holding and releasing balls in the several pockets. 7

3. In a billiard table in combination with a ball return system under the table top and pockets in communication with the return system, a movable stop adapted to, interrupt the communication between each of the pockets and the return system, means for individually operating the stops, and other means for collectively operating all stops simultaneously.

t. In a billiard table in combination with a ball return system and pockets in communication with the return system having an aperture at a point near each ofthe pockets, astop swingably mounted on the outside of each of the pockets having an extension-end adapted to move through said aperture to interrupt the communication be- 120 tween said pockets and said return system, means for individually manipulating the stops, and other means for collectively manipulating the several stops simultaneously.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names.

HARRY C. BURKE. AUGUST A. FRIBERG.

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